Jajpur, November 13 (Odisha.in) Thousands of people Monday gheraoed an office at Dharmasala in the district of Jajpur demanding their inclusion in a government scheme.
Rebati Behera, a 35 -year- old woman of Ragadipasi village is one of the people who said had come to participate in the gherao for non inclusion her name in ‘Mo Jami Mo Diha’ programme.
Rebati, a landless tribal woman and a daily labourer by profession had expected to avail a piece of homestead land on free of cost, provided to poor and land less people under the much publicised scheme announced last month.
But the free homestead land was not provided her. The reason, “the local ruling party henchman alleged that we lack votes. Hence, we are not eligible to the benefits,” she said.
The story of Gelamani Singh, 28, another poor and landless tribal woman of Aruha village is also similar.
Gelamani had come with her three children covering a distance about 15 kilometers from her home on foot to find out answer why she was not given a land even if the local revenue Inspector recommended her name.
Not only Rebati and Gelamani, but about five hundreds poor and landless people, mostly tribals and Harijans across the Dharmasala constituency participated in the protest organized jointly by the Orissa Janadhikar Morcha, Gaon Bachhao Andolan, Sabar Samaj and Munda Samaj.
Earlier, they took out a rally from the Dharmasala College to the Tahasil office, shouting slogans against the local tahasildar, ruling party leaders and even Naveen Patnaik government and moved across the bazaar.
Later, they held a protest meeting before the Tahasil office, which was attended by civil right activist Durga Prasanna Dash, Nrusingha Mishra, Narendra Mohanty, Adarmani Baral and Anirudha Samantray.
Addressing the gathering the speakers alleged that Naveen had betrayed the poor and innocent people by giving empty slogan in the name of his government is for the poor and down trodden.
Odisha.in